New team member problem with SM & appearing on the internet

[SanJayH]

I have a new member of my team who’s just started at the company. She flew through the interview and I think she’s going to be great at her job. We were completing the induction process by having pictures taken for her work badge and her profile on the website, but she suddenly announced that she couldn’t appear on any kind of social media or our website due to ‘personal reasons’.

I totally respect she is entitled to her privacy but we work in an industry which it’s kind of expected to appear on various social media platforms and on checking with HR I was informed it’s company policy to appear with a picture and profile on our website.

I’m a bit stuck as to how best proceed so I wondered if anyone else had experience of this?

I have no reason to object but I hate it too. The idea that SM is now so ubiquitous that anybody who objects to it is seen as weird. I like my anonymity and don’t want my photo or personal details out there connected with my job of work. It’s presumptuous and intrusive for employers to even make the assumption.

@tenbob you sound like a fabulous manager.

I have a couple of 'big and opinionated' personalities in my team; I find they need semi-regular very clear and unambiguous reminders that they have zero right to know about what's going on with other people unless other people choose to share it; decisions that have been made about other colleagues will have been made for good reasons but sometimes they don't get to know what those reasons are because they're private to the individual in question, and expressing their opinions on what the colleague should be doing could in some cases constitute harassment against colleagues who may have protected characteristics or other sensitive situations.

I've got one going on at the moment where someone is demanding an accommodation on the basis that 'other people do it'; I have nearly gone hoarse repeating 'remember you don't get to know what's going on with other people.'

Whilst she might have very good reasons for not wanting to be on SM, the point really is that unless the contract explicitly states that photos can be shared, I think her just saying she doesn't want to is a valid reason.
I was asked to consent to this. I made up my own consent form and said that I wanted all pics of me submitting for consideration before I consent. In reality that's kind of what we did anyway, but I wanted to maintain my right to decline. It irritated management that I was awkward and they said that they wouldn't share/publish without my blessing, so I said in that case, these new concent forms weren't needed!

Surely your team can understand there may be good reasons for her not being on public view, unless they are all extremely dim! Personality size is nothing to do with it.

She could have religious reasons - Jewish or Muslim or maybe she’s escaped abuse?

what a stupid policy!

Maybe she's in witness protection, you need to back of and respect her wishes

I’m one of those ‘big personalities’ at work. If a new member of the team joined and my line manager told me they would not be going on the website for personal reasons, I’d completely respect that and not ask questions - most people (even the opinionated ones) will be perfectly aware that there are many reasons people cannot be visible online.

I’m just concerned now as it make cause friction within the team as there are some big and opinionated personalities, I’m concerned some colleagues will find this odd and it may cause unwanted questions and judgement for her.

Then their manager needs to manage that and make sure these “big and opinionated personalities” aren’t actually bullies. She has every right to be protected from their “unwanted questions and judgement”.

What a ridiculous company policy. People are entitled to privacy and boundaries between personal life and work. Because of the rise of documenting every aspect of a persons life on social media, I think these boundaries have become blurred. Good for her, to want to protect her boundaries.

Well the bullies, sorry, 'big personalities' need to be dealt with accordingly should they decide to bully question anybody about something that is none of their business.

It’s a shit policy and the ‘big personalities’ are bullies. Go back to HR and fight her corner. Or, better, just don’t expect anything on SM.

I’m just concerned now as it may cause friction within the team as there are some big and opinionated personalities

If this is the case then the problem is the culture of the workplace and the “big personalities” who may hassle her over this, not the individual in question.

Ew your company sound like those LinkedIn golf selfie dickheads. LinkedIn used to be about CPD and job opportunities. Now it's just #bossbabe #Imcrying #workhardplayhard and #golfday

Sounds terrible.

You can't force someone to use social media and have their name/photo on the website, there are all sorts of reasons why someone may not want this. Your HR sounds awful!

Your company policy needs to be updated.

You cannot just use someone's picture without their permission. They have stated they do not want their image to be shared and you have to respect that.

As for ''big personalities'', which I assume means gossipy, irritating busybodies, it is none of their business and they should focus on their own work instead.

😂

I would argue your company’s policy is ridiculous and is not more important than her choice (and potentially her safety!) We obviously don’t know her reasons but I refused this at a previous workplace too due to a stalking incident which resulted in me changing my name. I would quit and see an employment lawyer if they pushed this with me as, quite simply, I need to protect myself and my family above all else. If I was this employee, I would also really appreciate being backed up by my manager in not only refusing this (glad to see you intend to do so!) but also dealing with those “big personalities” if they try to cause problems.

It’s nobody’s business why they don’t want their image on the website. Not yours, hr or colleagues no matter how big their personalities.

The ‘big personalities’ will just have to be educated then.

Witness protection etc,

Not in every industry

We’ve got 250k+ followers on our corporate page, and we regularly post interviews with a cross section of our employee where they talk about their career path and working week.
It is obviously a way to promote ourselves by highlighting our flexible working, our commitment to inclusive hiring, the interesting hobbies people have, alongside the more dry corporate news.

Clearly we do it to make us look warm and fuzzy, and to hopefully give some useful advice to people wanting to look at this as a career path, and we get lots of positive comments. Plus videos really game the LI algorithm 😉

But it is obviously only done with the full cooperation of the people we include, and I don’t need an explanation if anyone declines my request to be interviewed and included.

Yes, in our company we've had a few people either under police protection or in hiding from abuse or forced marriage.
In no way should such a person be disadvantaged by being forced to put their photo out there. Images are internet searchable.

It wouldn't be beyond the wit of your colleagues to find a workaround, where there's a will there's a way.

The 'big personalities' need to mind their own business and they need to be managed properly.

I dealt with something similar recently where the person in question turned out to have walked away 8 years ago from a marriage where there was horrific domestic violence. Had changed name, moved to another part of the country (here), started completely over. The only people she is in contact with are her parents and her sister. Her ex is still looking for her. We are not using her photo anywhere.